Sunscreen – The Right Way!

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I’m not a fan of how my skin looks after a beach vacation; to top it, summer is when I hit the beach the most. So imagine my plight when I get back home, with pigmented skin and a layer of crisp tan all over. It isn’t in fact the visible light that causes skin damage, it is the invisible ultraviolet rays that do. I guess that’s why the Sunscreen creams were invented. The sunscreens act exactly like screens by either reflecting or scattering the UV Rays. But are we slathering it the right way? How much is too much and what is the right way to use it. That’s what this post aims to do.

The lot of us do commonly make the below mistakes with our sunscreens:

Applying too late – We are supposed to apply sunscreen at least a good 30 minutes before we step out in sun.

Apply too little – According to research, we only use one quarter or one third of what we are actually supposed to.

Ignore our lips while applying – We commonly forget to apply sunscreen on our lips, while every other part of our body is soaked in it.

Use last year’s unexpired sunscreens – Every summer is hotter than the previous and so it demands the latest or updated sunscreens that give you the right chemical balance to beat the UV Rays

We do not apply when we are indoors – Yeah, I do that too. I ignore the fact that UV Rays can get past your window.

Forget to follow up with another layer – Every 2 hours you have to apply a new layer of Sunscreen to back up your first layer that is gonna disappear soon

Ignore to use one without Retinyl Palmitate – The Federal Research (USA) raised the possibility that – when Retinyl Palmitate is used on skin exposed to sunlight, it may speed the growth of cancerous tumors. So make sure you check the Ingredients list to avoid purchasing one with RM or Vitamin A.

Wrong perception that a higher SPF spectrum is more effective – This is not usually right. Every skin type requires a different spectrum of SPF, to maintain that right balance of chemicals and therefore provide you with an effective sunscreen. Ideally for someone with Normal Skin a SPF 30 to 40 does the job. Research says (Howard Sobel, M.D., of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City) that you get 99% sunburn protection from UV Rays from a SPF 90 as against a good 96% from an SPF 30, that just accounts for a marginal 3% increase.

Sunscreens are not invincible – You have to do your bit by covering yourself with a wide brimmed hat, long sleeve shirts, avoid sun exposure during mid day.

‘It’s cloudy and UV rays won’t be as much harmful as they are on a hot, bright day.’ – Now that is totally wrong!! UV rays increase with altitude; Water, snow, sand can reflect 70% of the sunlight that hits them. So gear up on a cloudy day too

I hope this post on Sunscreen Creams, and their use cleared out a few common misconceptions. Hope you hereafter at least will use Sunscreens the right way, so as to increase their efficacy. Do leave me your comments here and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin | Pinterest